There was a time when the idea of another turkey-and-brie-stuffed focaccia at Circular Quay for lunch was reason enough to avoid the city altogether. It was the only thing to eat unless you could afford Banc, and judging by the thickness of my pink Velcro wallet with the panda stitched on by mum, I couldn’t. Years later Merivale happened, and Sydney city became an indomitable dining district. Chef Dan Hong broke Sydney’s heart when he closed Lotus in Potts Point, until we saw what he did next.

With the backing of Justin Hemmes and a top-notch team in Jowett Yu and dim sum king Eric Koh, Hong pulled off what seemed impossible in Sydney years ago; a secret laneway restaurant that’s intimate, exciting, and that’s notable for the food.

It’s the kind of place you want to explore as soon as you sit down. Make your way to the two-story mural of a woman’s face, find the train-carriage toilets, gaze at the golden Chinese ducks that hang behind glass, shimmering and promising in gilded, roasted glory, then attend to the menu.

At Mr Wong, for once, nobody tries to explain that there is a principle of sharing plates here. Dumplings are dumplings are dumplings, after all: you don’t need some waitress telling you it’s a good chance to try a few things. There’s xiao long bao, scallop and lobster, wild mushroom, king prawn with bamboo shoot; you’ll need to share else turn into a dumpling yourself. The textured salad of poached chicken and jellyfish is the same sort of clever slippery, nutty texture play we see at Merivale’s Ms G’s (only the wait staff are less obnoxious here). Pippies are wok fried, sweet and laden with sticky, umami-rich XO sauce. The golden duck, crispy skinned and meaty, the thinnest layer of fat, is Sydney’s best. It’s impossible not to eat too much here, but at least you won’t need to stop by Circular Quay on the way home.

Tel: (02) 9240 3000

Social feed